Latest news with #WestTexas
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
US Supreme Court clears the way for nuclear waste storage in Texas
AUSTIN (KXAN) — The U.S. Supreme Court reversed a ruling by a federal appeals court Thursday, clearing the way for plans to temporarily store nuclear waste at a facility in West Texas. The 6-3 vote came in the case, Nuclear Regulatory Commission v. Texas, where the U.S. Court of Appeals in the Fifth Circuit sided with Texas and Fasken Oil and Ranch in their suit against the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to prevent the temporary waste site from being built. The justices reversed the Fifth Circuit ruling. But the Court did not decide the underlying dispute about whether the NRC has the power to license private storage facilities for nuclear waste. While the Court's decision is not a final ruling in favor of the licenses, it clears a key hurdle for the waste storage plans. Texas argued that federal law requires nuclear waste to be stored on site at reactors in the absence of a permanent storage site. Interim Storage Partners, LLC, the company trying to build the storage site in West Texas, argues that the law cited by the state — the Nuclear Waste Policy Act — does nothing to forbid the creation of a temporary storage site. 'The Fifth Circuit held that the NWPA 'doesn't permit' the ISP license, ISP App. 30a, but cited no statutory provision that says that. Nor do respondents. There is none,' the ISP writes in its response. Currently, high-level nuclear waste generated from nuclear power plants is stored at the reactors themselves to avoid transporting the fuel. High-level nuclear waste is highly radioactive and dangerous fuel, which no longer has a fast enough fission process to be used to generate energy, but still poses a threat. Because no federal waste storage site has been built, the NRC hoped to create a temporary storage site in West Texas. Opponents to the site, including the state, said that it would likely become a permanent site with no existing alternative. According to the NRC's website, high-level waste only becomes harmless after being stored for thousands of years. The concern is not only over storage, but transportation. Transporting spent nuclear fuel requires strict oversight and protection. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the most radioactive material is transported in casks, which are containers that are designed to withstand collisions, being dropped onto a steel spike, burning in gasoline for 30 minutes and withstanding being submerged in water for eight hours. The state also expressed worries about the site's location near oil fields in West Texas. Gov. Greg Abbott submitted comments in the suit that said the nuclear waste site could inflict significant damage to the oil fields if an act of terrorism or an accident affected the site. Texas has strived to lead the nation in nuclear energy production, with plans for the construction of several new uranium mines in South Texas and power plants purchased by large tech companies, like Google and Amazon. Because nuclear power can produce energy without carbon emissions, it is a popular alternative to fossil fuel-heavy sources like coal. But after nuclear disasters abroad and in the U.S. at power plants, including the Three Mile Island plant in Pennsylvania, creation of new nuclear power plants has slowed significantly in the U.S. Meanwhile, foreign powers, like China and India, are ramping up production. Both the Biden and Trump administrations made efforts to bolster nuclear energy in the U.S. by building new reactors and restarting old ones. Recent executive orders by President Donald Trump take measures, including speeding up the licensing process through the Department of Energy, beginning construction on 10 new reactors by 2030 and creating reactors for artificial intelligence data centers and domestic military bases. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Reuters
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Reuters
Radio host Paul Harvey's estate sues Paramount over 'Landman' voiceover
June 23 (Reuters) - The estate of radio host Paul Harvey sued Paramount Global (PARA.O), opens new tab in New York federal court on Monday for allegedly featuring a segment from his longtime program "The Rest of the Story" in the Paramount+ TV show "Landman" without permission. The estate said, opens new tab that Paramount misused a 90-second segment from a Harvey monologue on rising gas prices in the opening segment of a "Landman" episode. The complaint also said the makers of "Landman" edited Harvey's monologue to make it appear to support the oil industry, even though the full segment criticized government fossil-fuel policies and endorsed alternative fuels. Spokespeople for Paramount did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the complaint. The estate's lead attorney Jaime Wolf of Pelosi Wolf Spates said the producers of "Landman" "had no right to falsify the late Mr. Harvey's message and turn him into an unwitting shill for big oil." Harvey, who died in 2009, was a fixture of American radio. His signature program, "The Rest of the Story," aired from 1976 to 2008. Paramount's "Landman," which began airing last year, is a drama set in the oil fields of West Texas produced by "Yellowstone" co-creator Taylor Sheridan. According to the complaint, the show's tenth episode opens with the recording of Harvey's 2008 segment "Gas Crisis," in which he said that gas prices are "deliberately manipulated by governments and certain corporations to advance broader agendas." The lawsuit said that the estate's lawyers attempted to contact Paramount in March but never received a response. The estate asked the court for an unspecified amount of copyright infringement damages. The case is Paulynne Inc v. Paramount Global, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, No. 1:25-cv-05206. For Harvey's estate: Jaime Wolf and Angelo DiStefano of Pelosi Wolf Spates For Paramount: attorney information not yet available
CBS News
5 days ago
- Health
- CBS News
Texas teacher who built speech program from scratch surprised with $100,000 gift
A West Texas speech and debate coach who has spent her own savings to help rural students compete in national competitions received a surprise $100,000 gift at the National Speech and Debate Tournament. Deb Garoui, who teaches and coaches in Post, Texas, was recognized during the tournament for her dedication to students from low-income families. The gift from design company Canva came as Garoui faces medical debt from caring for her son, who has a severe form of epilepsy. "I'm just in disbelief," Garoui said after receiving the surprise. "We're $4 million in medical debt right now." Garoui, a breast cancer survivor and single mother, has paid for hotel rooms, meals and entry fees for her students using money from her own pocket. Many of her students come from families living in poverty. "One kid didn't even own a suitcase before we started traveling," Garoui said. "They have dirt floors. We have students who don't have heat or water. This is true poverty." Her son Noah, who sometimes travels with the team, has Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and requires about two dozen medications daily. He recently spent five months in the hospital, with Garoui and her daughter Noor taking turns at his bedside. Garoui said she also hopes to use the $100,000 to repair her son's wheelchair, get him a shower chair and repair plumbing that broke in their house while her son Noah was in the hospital for five months. Despite financial struggles, Garoui's teams have reached both state and national competitions. Her daughter Noor was the top performer on her previous team. The surprise presentation was made by CBS News contributor David Begnaud, who served as master of ceremonies at the national tournament. The National Speech and Debate Association also received a $100,000 donation from Canva. Scott Wunn, executive director of the National Speech and Debate Association, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. "These kids, especially the kids that I teach that are in the middle of nowhere, get that opportunity to use their voices and advocate for themselves," Garoui said of the association's impact. The documentary "Speak." features Garoui and highlights the speech and debate community's role in empowering students. David Begnaud loves uncovering the heart of every story and will continue to do so, highlighting everyday heroes and proving that there is good news in the news with his exclusive "CBS Mornings" series, "Beg-Knows America." Every Monday, get ready for moments that will make you smile or even shed a tear. Do you have a story about an ordinary person doing something extraordinary for someone else? Email David and his team at DearDavid@
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Blue Origin delays launch of human spaceflight from Texas: When could liftoff happen now?
The six people selected for Blue Origin's next human spaceflight will have to wait a little longer before they can board a spacecraft that will take them more than 60 miles high. The spaceflight company founded by billionaire Jeff Bezos opted to postpone its June 21, 2025, launch of a mission known as NS-33. The mission, named for Blue Origin's New Shepard spacecraft, is preparing to make its 33rd trip to the edge of space from the company's rural launch facility in West Texas. Of those missions, 12 so far have had people on board, including some well-known public figures and celebrities. When the next group of passengers makes their brief voyage above Earth's atmosphere, they will join more than 60 others who have made the trip since Bezos himself flew on the maiden crewed flight in 2021. Here's what to know about Blue Origin's next human spaceflight, including when it could take place following the delay. Blue Origin's spaceflights on the New Shepard vehicle take up to six people on 11-minute voyages above the Kármán Line – the 62-mile-high internationally recognized boundary of space. Blue Origin's next crewed launch was due to get off the ground Saturday, June 21. The company first opted to delay the mission to Sunday, June 22 due to "persistent high winds" before announcing at 5:48 a.m. CT that mission operators were once again postponing the launch "due to weather." As of Monday, June 23, a new target launch date has not been announced. "We're assessing our next launch opportunity," Blue Origin said. Billionaire Jeff Bezos, best known for founding Amazon, is the founder of the private space technology company Blue Origin. Bezos himself boarded Blue Origin's New Shepard for its maiden crewed voyage in July 2021, which came after the spacecraft flew on 15 flight tests beginning in 2012. For nearly four years since its first crewed mission, the New Shepard spacecraft has served as a powerful symbol of Blue Origin's commercial spaceflight ambitions amid a growing space tourism industry. In addition to sending space tourists on brief joy rides to the edge of space, Blue Origin has also increasingly sought to compete with Elon Musk's SpaceX. Blue Origin's massive New Glenn rocket, which flew on its inaugural flight test in January 2025, is also being developed for future spaceflights. At 320 feet tall, the spacecraft rivals SpaceX's 400-foot Starship in size. Blue Origin New Shepard rocket launches take place in Texas at the company's private ranch facility known as Launch Site One. The facility is located 30 miles north of the town of Van Horn in Culberson County – more than 140 miles east of El Paso near the U.S.-Mexico border. The passengers on the next mission, whose names Blue Origin announced on Friday, June 13, are a group of mostly conservationists and business leaders. When the New Shepard gets off the ground again, the six people selected to board it will join 64 others who have flown on the spacecraft across 12 previous human spaceflights. Here's a look at the passengers: Allie Kuehner, an environmentalist who serves on the board of Nature is Nonpartisan, a nonprofit organization advocating for bipartisan solutions to environmental issues Carl Kuehner, who chairs Building and Land Technology, a real estate development, investment and property management firm Leland Larson, a philanthropist and former CEO of School Bus Services and Larson Transportation Services – both family-owned public transportation businesses based in Oregon Freddie Rescigno, Jr., CEO of Commodity Cables, an electrical company he founded in 2001 Owolabi Salis, an attorney and a financial consultant Jim Sitkin, a retired lawyer from California Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@ This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Blue Origin rocket launch in Texas delayed: What time, day is liftoff?
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Blue Origin preps for next crewed rocket launch: What time and where to see liftoff in Texas
Blue Origin is preparing to send its next group of passengers on a brief spaceflight high above Earth. Reaching the very edge of space, the six people on board the company's New Shepard spacecraft will be treated to some stellar views and a few minutes of weightlessness after getting off the ground in West Texas. When they land, the space tourists will join an exclusive club of more than 60 others who have embarked on a similar expensive venture across 12 previous human spaceflights Blue Origin has provided. As for the rest of us? Well, we'll have to watch them have their fun from solid ground. Blue Origin, owned by billionaire Jeff Bezos, doesn't sell tickets for the public to watch a rocket launch in person. But areas around the launch site, including a town just south of it, may provide a few ideal places to catch the liftoff and spaceflight. Here's everything to know about Blue Origin's next human spaceflight and how to potentially see it in person. Billionaire Jeff Bezos, best known for founding Amazon, is the founder of the private space technology company Blue Origin. Bezos himself even boarded Blue Origin's New Shepard for its maiden crewed voyage in July 2021, which came after the spacecraft flew on 15 flight tests beginning in 2012. For nearly four years since its first crewed mission, the New Shepard spacecraft has served as a powerful symbol of Blue Origin's commercial spaceflight ambitions amid a growing space tourism industry. In addition to sending space tourists on brief joy rides to the edge of space, Blue Origin has also increasingly sought to compete with Elon Musk's SpaceX. Blue Origin's massive New Glenn rocket, which flew on its inaugural flight test in January 2025 from Cape Canaveral, Florida, is also being developed for future spaceflights. At 320 feet tall, the spacecraft rivals SpaceX's 400-foot Starship in size. Blue Origin's next crewed launch, known as NS-33, could get off the ground as early as 8:30 a.m. CT Saturday, June 21, the company announced. Blue Origin New Shepard rocket launches take place from the company's private ranch facility known as Launch Site One. The facility is located more than 140 miles east of El Paso near the U.S.-Mexico border. Blue Origin does not provide any public viewing areas for launches at or near its facility, which is located in a remote desert. Spectators, though, have been known to pull over on U.S. Route 54 to gather on spots to the side of the highway that offer good views of New Shepard getting off the ground. Van Horn, the nearest town, is located about 30 miles south of Launch Site One in Culberson County, Texas. While the town is too far away to see the launch pad itself, it is likely the best place to see a New Shepard rocket soar into the sky. The town's visitors bureau advertises Blue Origin on its homepage and its brochure as an attraction, but does not list any suggested public viewing locations for launches. However, here is a list of public places in and around Van Horn – some listed as attractions on the visitors' bureau website – where spectators might be able to see a rocket taking off: Van Horn city park, 3rd and Austin Streets Okey D. Lucas Memorial Park, 1804 W. Broadway St., Van Horn Guadalupe Mountains National Park, located about 60 miles north of Van Horn in Dell City and 40 miles north of the launch site, the park bordering New Mexico has the highest point in Texas. Scenic overlook: a pull-off spot located off the westbound lane of Interstate 10 about four miles west of Van Horn that provides an elevated view over U.S. Route 54. Here's a look at the passengers on the next Blue Origin New Shepard spaceflight, known as NS-33: Allie Kuehner, an environmentalist who serves on the board of Nature is Nonpartisan, a nonprofit organization advocating for bipartisan solutions to environmental issues Carl Kuehner, who chairs Building and Land Technology, a real estate development, investment and property management firm Leland Larson, a philanthropist and former CEO of School Bus Services and Larson Transportation Services – both family-owned public transportation businesses based in Oregon Freddie Rescigno, Jr., CEO of Commodity Cables, an electrical company he founded in 2001 Owolabi Salis, an attorney and a financial consultant Jim Sitkin, a retired lawyer from California Each spaceflight on a New Shepard vehicle lasts about 11 minutes from liftoff to capsule touchdown. Named after astronaut Alan Shepard, the first American in space, the 60-foot-tall New Shepard rocket is topped with the gum drop-shaped crew capsule. The spacecraft operates completely autonomously, meaning no pilots are aboard. During its ascent, the spacecraft reaches supersonic speeds surpassing 2,000 mph before the rocket booster separates from the crew capsule. At that point, those aboard the capsule become weightless as the spacecraft continues toward its highest point on its brief voyage above the Kármán Line – the 62-mile-high internationally recognized boundary of space. While experiencing a few minutes of microgravity, passengers have the opportunity to unstrap themselves from their seats to gaze out the capsule's large windows and take in a stunning view of Earth. Meanwhile, the rocket booster heads back to the ground while firing its engines and using its fins to slow and control its descent to land vertical about two miles from the launchpad. The capsule itself eventually begins what Blue Origin refers to as a "stable freefall' – plummeting back to Earth as three massive parachutes deploy and the capsule makes a soft landing in the desert, sending up plumes of dust. Contributing: Jennifer Sangalang, USA TODAY Network Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@ This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Is there a Blue Origin rocket launch today? Where to watch from Texas
